Geography of Benin#Climate

File:Benin Topography.png

The country can be divided into four main areas from the south to the north. The low-lying, sandy, coastal plain, which has a highest elevation of {{convert|10|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} is, at most, {{convert|10|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} wide. It is marshy and dotted with lakes and lagoons connected to the ocean. The plateaus of southern Benin, with an altitude ranging between {{convert|20|and|200|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, are split by valleys running north to south along the Couffo, Zou, and Oueme Rivers, an area that has been categorised by the World Wildlife Fund as part of the Guinean forest-savanna mosaic ecoregion. Then an area of flat lands dotted with rocky hills whose altitude seldom reaches {{convert|400|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} extends around Nikki and Savé. Finally, the Atacora mountain range extends along the northwest border and into Togo with the highest point, Mont Sokbaro, at {{convert|658|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}.

Benin has fields lying fallow, mangroves, and remnants of large sacred forests. Forest cover is around 28.% of the total land area, equivalent to 3,135,150 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, down from 4,835,150 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 3,112,150 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 23,000 hectares (ha).{{Cite book |url=https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/a6e225da-4a31-4e06-818d-ca3aeadfd635/content |title=Terms and Definitions FRA 2025 Forest Resources Assessment, Working Paper 194 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |year=2023}}{{Cite web |title=Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, Benin |url=https://fra-data.fao.org/assessments/fra/2020/BEN/home/overview |website=Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations}}

In the rest of the country, the savanna is covered with thorny scrubs and dotted with huge baobab trees. Some forests line the banks of rivers. In the north and the northwest of Benin the Reserve du W du Niger and Pendjari National Park attract tourists eager to see elephants, lions, antelopes, hippos and monkeys. The country formerly offered habitat for the endangered painted hunting dog, Lycaon pictus,C. Michael Hogan. 2009 although this canid is considered to have been extirpated from Benin due to human population expansion. Woodlands comprise approximately 31 percent of Benin's land area.Rebecca Kormos and Christophe Boesch. 2003

Location:

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Nigeria and Togo

Geographic coordinates:

{{coord|9|30|N|2|15|E|type:country}}

Continent:

Africa

Area:

total:

112 622 km²

country comparison to the world: 102

land:

110 622 km²

water:

2 000 km²

Area comparative

• Australia comparative: slightly less than {{sfrac|1|2}} the size of Victoria
• Canada comparative: approximately 1{{sfrac|1|2}} times the size of New Brunswick
• United Kingdom comparative: approximately {{sfrac|1|7}} smaller than England
• United States comparative: slightly larger than Virginia
• EU comparative: slightly larger than Bulgaria

Land boundaries:

total:

2 123 km

border countries:

Burkina Faso 386 km, Niger 277 km, Nigeria 809 km, Togo 651 km

Coastline:

121 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea:

200 nautical miles (370.4 km)

Climate:

tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Terrain:

mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains

Elevation extremes:

lowest point:

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point:

Mont Sokbaro 658 m

Natural resources:

small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber

Land use:

arable land: 23.94%

permanent crops: 3.99%

other: 72.06% (2012)

Irrigated land: 230.4 km² (2012)

'Total renewable water resources: 26.39 km³ (2011)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.13 km³/a (32%/23%/45%)

per capita: 18.74 m³/a (2001)

Natural hazards:

hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in December to March

Environment - current issues:

inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification

Environment - international agreements:

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

Sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands.

{{See also|Benin#Geography}}

File:Benin map of Köppen climate classification.svg

File:DEGAN Gabin ( the tasks of man).jpg

Benin's climate is hot and humid. Annual rainfall in the coastal area averages {{convert|1360|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}, not particularly high for coastal West Africa. Benin has two rainy and two dry seasons. The principal rainy season is from April to late July, with a shorter less intense rainy period from late September to November. The main dry season is from December to April, with a short cooler dry season from late July to early September. Temperatures and humidity are high along the tropical coast. In Cotonou, the average maximum temperature is {{convert|31|C|F|1}}; the minimum is {{convert|24|C|F|1}}. Variations in temperature increase when moving north through a savanna and plateau toward the Sahel. A dry wind from the Sahara called the harmattan blows from December to March. Grass dries up, the vegetation turns reddish brown, and a veil of fine dust hangs over the country, causing the skies to be overcast. It is also the season when farmers burn brush in the fields.

{{Weather box|width=auto

|collapsed = yes

|metric first=yes

|single line=yes

|location= Porto-Novo

|Jan mean C=27

|Feb mean C=28

|Mar mean C=28

|Apr mean C=28

|May mean C=27

|Jun mean C=26

|Jul mean C=25

|Aug mean C=25

|Sep mean C=25

|Oct mean C=26

|Nov mean C=27

|Dec mean C=27

|year mean C=26

|rain colour= green

|Jan rain mm=23

|Feb rain mm=34

|Mar rain mm=86

|Apr rain mm=127

|May rain mm=215

|Jun rain mm=370

|Jul rain mm=129

|Aug rain mm=44

|Sep rain mm=89

|Oct rain mm=140

|Nov rain mm=52

|Dec rain mm=16

|source 1= {{Cite web |url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weatherall.php3?s=653440&refer=&cityname=Porto-Novo-Benin&units= |title=Weatherbase |publisher=Weatherbase |access-date=December 13, 2012 }}

}}

{{Weather box | width=auto

| metric first = Yes

| single line = Yes

| location = Cotonou (1961–1990, extremes 1910–present)

|collapsed = yes

| Jan record high C = 36.1

| Feb record high C = 38.6

| Mar record high C = 36.0

| Apr record high C = 35.4

| May record high C = 39.0

| Jun record high C = 33.0

| Jul record high C = 33.5

| Aug record high C = 31.8

| Sep record high C = 31.6

| Oct record high C = 33.4

| Nov record high C = 35.4

| Dec record high C = 36.6

| year record high C = 39.0

| Jan high C = 30.8

| Feb high C = 31.6

| Mar high C = 31.9

| Apr high C = 31.6

| May high C = 31.0

| Jun high C = 29.2

| Jul high C = 28.0

| Aug high C = 27.8

| Sep high C = 28.4

| Oct high C = 29.6

| Nov high C = 30.9

| Dec high C = 30.8

| year high C = 30.1

| Jan mean C = 27.3

| Feb mean C = 28.5

| Mar mean C = 28.9

| Apr mean C = 28.6

| May mean C = 27.8

| Jun mean C = 26.5

| Jul mean C = 25.8

| Aug mean C = 25.6

| Sep mean C = 26.0

| Oct mean C = 26.7

| Nov mean C = 27.6

| Dec mean C = 27.3

| year mean C = 27.2

| Jan low C = 23.8

| Feb low C = 25.4

| Mar low C = 25.9

| Apr low C = 25.6

| May low C = 24.6

| Jun low C = 23.7

| Jul low C = 23.7

| Aug low C = 23.4

| Sep low C = 23.6

| Oct low C = 23.8

| Nov low C = 24.3

| Dec low C = 23.8

| year low C = 24.3

| Jan record low C = 17.0

| Feb record low C = 17.9

| Mar record low C = 18.5

| Apr record low C = 20.7

| May record low C = 19.6

| Jun record low C = 20.0

| Jul record low C = 18.8

| Aug record low C = 19.8

| Sep record low C = 20.0

| Oct record low C = 19.1

| Nov record low C = 21.0

| Dec record low C = 17.9

| year record low C = 17.0

| rain colour = green

| Jan rain mm = 9.2

| Feb rain mm = 36.8

| Mar rain mm = 73.8

| Apr rain mm = 137.0

| May rain mm = 196.9

| Jun rain mm = 356.0

| Jul rain mm = 147.0

| Aug rain mm = 64.9

| Sep rain mm = 99.0

| Oct rain mm = 126.7

| Nov rain mm = 41.4

| Dec rain mm = 19.6

| Jan humidity = 82

| Feb humidity = 82

| Mar humidity = 80

| Apr humidity = 82

| May humidity = 83

| Jun humidity = 87

| Jul humidity = 86

| Aug humidity = 86

| Sep humidity = 86

| Oct humidity = 86

| Nov humidity = 85

| Dec humidity = 83

| year humidity = 84

| unit rain days = 1.0 mm

| Jan rain days = 1

| Feb rain days = 2

| Mar rain days = 4

| Apr rain days = 7

| May rain days = 11

| Jun rain days = 15

| Jul rain days = 8

| Aug rain days = 5

| Sep rain days = 8

| Oct rain days = 8

| Nov rain days = 4

| Dec rain days = 2

| Jan sun = 213.9

| Feb sun = 210.0

| Mar sun = 223.2

| Apr sun = 219.0

| May sun = 213.9

| Jun sun = 141.0

| Jul sun = 136.4

| Aug sun = 148.8

| Sep sun = 165.0

| Oct sun = 207.7

| Nov sun = 243.0

| Dec sun = 223.2

| year sun = 2345.1

| Jand sun = 6.9

| Febd sun = 7.5

| Mard sun = 7.2

| Aprd sun = 7.3

| Mayd sun = 6.9

| Jund sun = 4.7

| Juld sun = 4.4

| Augd sun = 4.8

| Sepd sun = 5.5

| Octd sun = 6.7

| Novd sun = 8.1

| Decd sun = 7.2

|yeard sun = 6.4

| source 1 = NOAA{{cite web

| url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG__I/B3/65344.TXT

| title = Cotonou, Benin Climate Normals 1961-1990

| access-date = December 19, 2018

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration}}

| source 2 = Deutscher Wetterdienst (humidity, 1951–1967),{{cite web

| url = http://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_653440_kt.pdf

| title = Klimatafel von Cotonou, Prov. Atlantique (Süd) / Benin

| work = Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world

| publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst

| language = de

| access-date = 11 June 2016

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200224194408/https://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_653440_kt.pdf

| archive-date = 24 February 2020

| url-status = live

}} Meteo Climat (record highs and lows){{cite web

| url = http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=812

| title = Station Cotonou

| publisher = Meteo Climat

| language = fr

| access-date = 11 June 2016

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200305160814/http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=812

| archive-date = 5 March 2020

| url-status = live

}}

| date = March 2011

}}

{{Weather box

|location = Parakou (1961–1990)

|width = auto

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|collapsed = yes

|Jan record high C = 36.6

|Feb record high C = 38.3

|Mar record high C = 38.9

|Apr record high C = 38.4

|May record high C = 35.9

|Jun record high C = 33.7

|Jul record high C = 32.1

|Aug record high C = 31.6

|Sep record high C = 32.2

|Oct record high C = 33.9

|Nov record high C = 35.5

|Dec record high C = 35.8

|year record high C = 38.9

|Jan high C = 34.1

|Feb high C = 36.0

|Mar high C = 36.2

|Apr high C = 34.9

|May high C = 32.8

|Jun high C = 30.7

|Jul high C = 29.2

|Aug high C = 28.6

|Sep high C = 29.5

|Oct high C = 31.5

|Nov high C = 33.6

|Dec high C = 33.6

|year high C = 32.6

|Jan mean C = 26.5

|Feb mean C = 28.7

|Mar mean C = 29.6

|Apr mean C = 29.0

|May mean C = 27.5

|Jun mean C = 26.1

|Jul mean C = 25.1

|Aug mean C = 24.7

|Sep mean C = 25.0

|Oct mean C = 26.1

|Nov mean C = 26.6

|Dec mean C = 26.1

|year mean C = 26.8

|Jan low C = 18.9

|Feb low C = 21.3

|Mar low C = 22.9

|Apr low C = 23.1

|May low C = 22.2

|Jun low C = 21.4

|Jul low C = 21.0

|Aug low C = 20.8

|Sep low C = 20.5

|Oct low C = 20.8

|Nov low C = 19.7

|Dec low C = 18.5

|year low C = 20.9

|Jan record low C = 15.8

|Feb record low C = 18.2

|Mar record low C = 19.9

|Apr record low C = 19.9

|May record low C = 19.2

|Jun record low C = 18.9

|Jul record low C = 19.0

|Aug record low C = 19.1

|Sep record low C = 18.5

|Oct record low C = 18.6

|Nov record low C = 16.7

|Dec record low C = 15.2

|year record low C = 15.2

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 3.8

|Feb precipitation mm = 9.2

|Mar precipitation mm = 39.4

|Apr precipitation mm = 85.5

|May precipitation mm = 130.8

|Jun precipitation mm = 172.0

|Jul precipitation mm = 189.9

|Aug precipitation mm = 208.8

|Sep precipitation mm = 205.6

|Oct precipitation mm = 91.1

|Nov precipitation mm = 6.3

|Dec precipitation mm = 6.6

|year precipitation mm = 1149.0

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 0

|Feb precipitation days = 1

|Mar precipitation days = 3

|Apr precipitation days = 5

|May precipitation days = 9

|Jun precipitation days = 11

|Jul precipitation days = 12

|Aug precipitation days = 13

|Sep precipitation days = 15

|Oct precipitation days = 7

|Nov precipitation days = 1

|Dec precipitation days = 1

|year precipitation days = 78

|source 1 = NOAA{{cite web

| url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG__I/B3/65330.TXT

| title = Parakou Climate Normals 1961–1990

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = January 13, 2015}}

|date=January 2015}}

{{Weather box

|width = auto

|collapsed= yes

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|location= Kandi (1961–1990, extremes 1921–present)

|Jan record high C=41.2

|Feb record high C=43.0

|Mar record high C=43.3

|Apr record high C=43.9

|May record high C=43.3

|Jun record high C=40.9

|Jul record high C=38.9

|Aug record high C=39.9

|Sep record high C=39.8

|Oct record high C=41.5

|Nov record high C=39.5

|Dec record high C=39.5

|year record high C=43.9

|Jan high C=33.6

|Feb high C=36.4

|Mar high C=38.4

|Apr high C=38.6

|May high C=36.2

|Jun high C=33.3

|Jul high C=30.9

|Aug high C=30.2

|Sep high C=31.1

|Oct high C=34.2

|Nov high C=35.3

|Dec high C=33.8

|year high C=34.3

|Jan mean C=24.9

|Feb mean C=27.8

|Mar mean C=30.9

|Apr mean C=32.1

|May mean C=30.4

|Jun mean C=28.1

|Jul mean C=26.4

|Aug mean C=26.0

|Sep mean C=26.2

|Oct mean C=27.8

|Nov mean C=26.5

|Dec mean C=24.8

|year mean C=27.7

|Jan low C=16.1

|Feb low C=19.2

|Mar low C=23.4

|Apr low C=25.6

|May low C=24.6

|Jun low C=22.9

|Jul low C=21.9

|Aug low C=21.8

|Sep low C=21.4

|Oct low C=21.4

|Nov low C=17.7

|Dec low C=15.8

|year low C=21.0

|Jan record low C=10.0

|Feb record low C=12.6

|Mar record low C=15.2

|Apr record low C=17.0

|May record low C=16.5

|Jun record low C=14.9

|Jul record low C=18.6

|Aug record low C=19.0

|Sep record low C=15.0

|Oct record low C=14.0

|Nov record low C=10.8

|Dec record low C=5.0

|year record low C=5.0

|Jan precipitation mm=0.2

|Feb precipitation mm=2.9

|Mar precipitation mm=8.2

|Apr precipitation mm=40.5

|May precipitation mm=107.0

|Jun precipitation mm=152.7

|Jul precipitation mm=196.9

|Aug precipitation mm=271.9

|Sep precipitation mm=190.9

|Oct precipitation mm=34.1

|Nov precipitation mm=0.5

|Dec precipitation mm=0.6

|year precipitation mm=1006.6

|Jan humidity=33

|Feb humidity=28

|Mar humidity=36

|Apr humidity=52

|May humidity=65

|Jun humidity=75

|Jul humidity=82

|Aug humidity=85

|Sep humidity=85

|Oct humidity=76

|Nov humidity=54

|Dec humidity=40

|year humidity=59

|unit precipitation days= 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days=0

|Feb precipitation days=0

|Mar precipitation days=1

|Apr precipitation days=3

|May precipitation days=8

|Jun precipitation days=10

|Jul precipitation days=13

|Aug precipitation days=16

|Sep precipitation days=13

|Oct precipitation days=3

|Nov precipitation days=0

|Dec precipitation days=0

|year precipitation days=67

|Jan sun=279.0

|Feb sun=257.6

|Mar sun=260.4

|Apr sun=255.0

|May sun=272.8

|Jun sun=252.0

|Jul sun=223.2

|Aug sun=195.3

|Sep sun=213.0

|Oct sun=275.9

|Nov sun=282.0

|Dec sun=279.0

|year sun=3045.2

|source 1= NOAA{{Cite web |url=ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/RA-I/B3/65306.TXT |title=KANDI Climate Normals 1961-1990 |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date=June 11, 2016 }}

|source 2 = Deutscher Wetterdienst (humidity, 1951–1967),

{{cite web

| url = http://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_653060_kt.pdf

| title = Klimatafel von Kandi, Prov. Borgou (Nordost) / Benin

| work = Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world

| publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst

| language = de

| access-date = 11 June 2016}} Meteo Climat (record highs and lows)

{{cite web

| url = http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=1566

| title = Station Kansi

| publisher = Meteo Climat

|language = fr

| access-date = 11 June 2016}}

}}

This is a list of the extreme points of Benin, the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location.

• Northernmost point – the confluence of the Mékrou River and the river Niger on the border with Niger, Alibori Department
• Easternmost point – unnamed location on the border with Nigeria immediately east of the town of Néganzi, Borgou Department
• Southernmost point – the point at which the border with Togo enters the Atlantic Ocean, Mono Department
• Westernmost point - unnamed location on the border with Togo immediately south-west of Tiokossi in Datori, Atakora Department

• C. Michael Hogan. 2009. [https://web.archive.org/web/20101209234758/http://globaltwitcher.auderis.se/artspec_information.asp?thingid=35993 Painted Hunting Dog: Lycaon pictus, GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg]
• Rebecca Kormos and Christophe Boesch. 2003. West African chimpanzees: status survey and conservation action plan, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group, 219 pages {{ISBN|2-8317-0733-1}}, {{ISBN|978-2-8317-0733-4}}
• {{CIA World Factbook}}
• {{StateDept}}

{{reflist}}

• Soil Maps of Benin [https://web.archive.org/web/20070311043015/http://eusoils.jrc.it/esdb_archive/EuDASM/africa/lists/cbj.htm European Digital Archive on the Soil Maps of the world]

{{Benin topics}}

{{Geography of Africa}}

{{Africa topic|Climate of}}